UN Human Rights Council: Extend Sudan FFM Mandate for 2 Years

• Civil society organizations are urging the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan by two years.
• The FFM is tasked with investigating grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, collecting evidence, and identifying perpetrators to support accountability.
• Advocates emphasize the need for adequate resources for the FFM, including a written report on its urgent inquiry into El Obeid.
• The mission is considered critical for addressing impunity in Sudan, especially given the warring parties' disregard for international law and their failure to conduct genuine investigations.
• Enhanced cooperation between the FFM and African regional human rights mechanisms is also sought to strengthen accountability and civilian protection.

The FFM's ongoing investigations and evidence collection are considered indispensable for addressing the pervasive impunity that fuels grave violations and abuses across Sudan.

Civil society organizations are urgently appealing to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to extend Sudan FFM mandate UN Human Rights Council for the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for Sudan. This critical request, made ahead of the HRC's 63rd session scheduled from September 7 to October 7, 2026, seeks a full two-year extension of the mission's operations. The organizations emphasize that the next HRC resolution concerning Sudan must guarantee the FFM receives adequate financial resources and specialized expertise to effectively carry out its vital mandate.

Beyond a simple extension, advocates are pushing for enhanced capacity for the FFM and the broader UN system to bolster accountability efforts. This includes the crucial task of collecting, consolidating, and preserving evidence pertaining to suspected perpetrators of crimes under international law. A specific demand is for a written report detailing the findings of the FFM's urgent inquiry into El Obeid, an investigation previously requested by HRC resolution 62/1, to be presented as part of comprehensive reporting to UN bodies. This holistic approach is deemed essential for atrocity prevention and ensuring justice.

Established three years ago, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission Sudan serves as a vital international mechanism, tasked with independently investigating and reporting on violations committed across the nation. Its core mandate involves scrutinizing grave violations and abuses of international human rights law, as well as Sudan international humanitarian law violations, and related crimes. A key objective is the collection and preservation of evidence, alongside the identification of perpetrators, with the ultimate goal of holding them accountable.

The FFM's work is considered paramount in confronting the pervasive impunity that continues to fuel severe violations and abuses throughout Sudan. This mission remains indispensable, particularly as warring parties consistently demonstrate a profound disregard for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan. Their persistent unwillingness or inability to conduct genuine, thorough, prompt, and impartial investigations and prosecutions underscores the FFM's ongoing necessity. Furthermore, the mission's regular investigative reports and special inquiries provide the international community with crucial analysis and guidance, aiding in the prevention of further atrocities, the protection of civilians, and the advancement of accountability.

Over the past year, the Human Rights Council has consistently affirmed the value of the FFM's investigations into international crimes in Sudan, twice doing so by consensus. The Council has repeatedly underscored that accountability for atrocities Sudan ICC is a central component of any viable resolution to the current crisis. In a concerted effort to build synergies, the HRC has also engaged with the African regional system and acted swiftly on the situation in and around El Obeid, fulfilling its prevention mandate.

To further strengthen these efforts, the FFM is urged to enhance its cooperation with African regional human rights mechanisms. This builds upon recent collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR)-led Joint Fact-Finding Mission. Such enhanced coordination and information-sharing between these complementary bodies are expected to reinforce both African and international initiatives aimed at protecting civilians, advancing accountability, and fostering sustainable peace. This ensures that UN actions are informed by and contribute to broader regional efforts led by African institutions, particularly given the FFM's additional urgent inquiries and the imperative to build a robust body of evidence for future prosecutions.

The FFM's ongoing investigations and evidence collection are considered indispensable for addressing the pervasive impunity that fuels grave violations and abuses across Sudan. The mission's continued operation is crucial for supporting future prosecutions, including those by the International Criminal Court and through cases brought before domestic courts under the principle of universal jurisdiction. The need for a solid body of evidence, meticulously gathered and preserved by the FFM, is paramount for ensuring that justice can eventually be served for the crimes it is documenting.

Given the persistent disregard for international law by the warring parties and their demonstrated inability to conduct credible investigations, the FFM remains a critical pillar in the international community's efforts to prevent further atrocities and hold perpetrators accountable. The request for a written report on the El Obeid FFM inquiry further highlights the specific, urgent nature of the mission's work and its direct contribution to a comprehensive understanding of the situation on the ground, paving the way for meaningful accountability.

Lawyers specializing in international criminal law, human rights, or corporate compliance with operations in Sudan should monitor the FFM's ongoing investigations and evidence collection, as this directly impacts potential future prosecutions, universal jurisdiction cases, and due diligence requirements regarding complicity in grave violations.

Source: Based on a joint civil society letter to the UN Human Rights Council.